Env Science Graduate Program  Core Requirements

Approved March 12, 2003

All graduate students must take at least one course in each of the following areas; Ph.D. students must fulfill this requirement before taking the qualifying exam.

1. Environmental Physics:
   16-375:509 Groundwater Pollution
   16-375:532 Atmospheric Physics
   16-375:555 Soil Physics
    
2. Biological Systems:
   16-375:510 Pollution Microbiology
   16-375:519 Wetland Ecology
   16-375:573 Soil Ecosystem Processes
    
3. Environmental Chemistry:
   16-375:517 Applications of Aquatic Chemistry
   16-375:523 Environmental Fate and Transport
   16-375:540 Atmospheric Chemistry
    
4. Management and Policy:
   16-375:530 Hazardous Waste Management
   16-375:535 Environmental Law and Policy
   ENOH-0656-001 Risk Assessment

Additionally, all M.S. students must take at least 1 credit of seminar, and all Ph.D. students must take at least two 1-credit seminars.

• 16:375:613 Seminar in Environmental Science (1)
• 16:375:612 Seminar in Environmental Science (1), or
  16:375:671 Seminar in Meteorology (1)
  
  
  These new requirements apply to students who enter the program after June 1, 2002. They do not apply to students (including those admitted to the program later than this date) who have completed the previous core, which consisted of 16-375:513 and 16-375:514, Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Science I and II, plus seminar. Students who have completed only 513 or 514 (but not both) must take the new core, but may use the one course they completed as a “wildcard” to fulfill any one of the four areas. Also, with advisor approval, a student may petition the Curriculum Committee for permission to substitute another course (including one taken elsewhere) for one of those listed within an area.
   

Options

Each Student must also complete the requirements of one of the program options

• pollution prevention and control
• fate and effects of pollutants
• exposure assessment (Ph.D. only) (offered jointly with the graduate program in public health and in conjunction with the Department of Environmental and Community Medicine at University of Medicine & Dentistry of NJ - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.)
• environmental toxicology (Ph. D. only)

Courses Outside the Selected Option

Students are encouraged to take courses not listed in their chosen Curriculum Option when these are considered desirable for their research or academic development. All course selections should be discussed with the student's faculty advisor. A minimum of 15 credits must be taken within the Environmental Sciences (375) curriculum. A maximum of 3 credits of Advanced Special Problems (16-375:625 and 626) or equivalent may be counted towards an M.S. degree. For Ph.D. students, the maximum is 6 credits.

Undergraduate Courses

In many cases 300 or 400 level undergraduate courses are appropriate and accepted for credit (G prefix) toward a graduate degree with advisor approval; however, the number of undergraduate credits associated with the degree must not exceed 12.

Transfer of Credit From Other Institutions

After completing 12 credits within the Program, students may petition to transfer up to 12 course credits towards an M.S. degree or up to 18-24 course credits (a maximum of half) towards a Ph.D. from graduate work completed at other institutions.

Grades

Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 for all coursework taken at Rutgers toward a graduate degree. No more than one course with a grade of C or C+ may be counted toward the degree.

Other Requirements 

A minimum of 24 course credits, 6 research credits, a thesis, and a comprehensive oral examination with defense of the thesis are required for an M.S. degree (Plan A).   Alternatively (Plan B), an M.S. student may complete 30 course credits, and expository essay, and a comprehensive oral exam. For a Ph.D. (for students entering in or after January 2000, or prior admitted students who select to switch to the new requirements), students must complete at least 36 course credits (not including Special Topics/Independent Study) and 24 research credits. 12 additional credits must also be taken in either course credits or research credits (minimum 72 total). A written and oral qualifying exam must be passed before admission to candidacy, and completion and successful public defense of a thesis (dissertation) is also required.  For a Ph.D. (for students entering prior to January 2000, who elect not to switch to the new requirements), students must complete at least 48 course credits and 24 research credits (minimum 72 total). A written and oral qualifying exam must be passed before admission to candidacy, and completion and successful public defense of a thesis (dissertation) is also required. [Note: advisors cannot exempt students from any requirements; such a recommendation must be approved in writing by the Option Coordinators Committee for program requirements, or by the individual option coordinator for option requirements. The Graduate School has additional requirements, which may be found in the Catalog.]

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